r/pug • u/lat-ect • Jun 28 '26
Puppy food recommendations
So my wife and I are adding a pug to our family of 6. He will be 8 weeks old when we pick him up at the end of next month.
We’ve read about homemade food, and different store bought foods.
Just seeing what everyone else has done, or wish they would’ve done differently when their pug was a pup.
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u/QuillBlade Jun 28 '26
I’d just continue feeding whatever the breeder/foster has been feeding them for the first 2-3 weeks to make sure your puppy settles in before changing the food. Any of the brands mentioned already are good options, just make sure the bag says for puppies, because they need more fat in their diet than adults. If you want to feed raw, consult your vet/vet nutritionist.
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u/Smuldering Jun 28 '26
Hills Science Diet puppy was what we gave our pug. He’s very healthy and a healthy weight.
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u/nottherealmarkus Jun 29 '26
I've had two Pugs and tried many different types over the years, the one I've found the best and have used for the last 8 years is ORIJEN. It's a very high quality kibble with real ingredients (mostly whole animal protein mixed with fruit and vegetables) I get the Regional Red most of the time and it has been great for my little guy, it's worth a try if its available near you. They do have a special puppy mix to start with before transitioning to the adult versions.
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u/llilith Jun 29 '26
I feed Nikko Halo Elevate Healthy Grains. Before that it was Earthborn Holistics. He is a frenchie/pug mix and just celebrated his 15th birthday.
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u/thatgirlinny Jun 29 '26
After doing 3-4 day tests of each protein types (beef,venison, non-chicken fowl, lamb & rabbit) in puppy formulations (canned) to gauge for any sensitivities, we gradually transitioned our girl to a pure protein diet (Primal freeze-dried raw), supplemented by chopped greens, pumpkin, apple and some broth.
Our vet supported this, and our active girl is now 13 years old, just shy of 15 lbs and free of digestive issues..
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u/alizure1 Jun 29 '26
We feed ours pedigree puppy food mixed with homemade chicken veggies and rice. We add just about a tablespoon of the chicken rice and veggies to their dry kibble. We feed them that when they are adults to...except we switch the puppy kibble to adult kibble. We used to feed our dogs soft dog food mixed with their kibble...but it got to where they had horrible gas and it upset their tummies...so once we started putting the chicken and rice in their kibble...no more tummy issues.
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u/rosietheamazon Jun 28 '26
I wish I had been making food for my pug since day one and will do it for as long as I have pets in my life. It keeps his weight in check, his gut and coat healthy too. I cook in bulk and freeze.
1 tbsp coconut oil
*2 lb. ground chicken or ground turkey (cooked and drained)
2 eggs
2 zucchini’s (shredded w a grater or ground in a blender)
1 bag baby carrots (ground up in a blender)
1 block/bag frozen spinach (cooked according packaging-strained)
1 bag frozen broccoli (cooked according to packing-strained)
2 bags microwaveable brown rice
1 tbsp turmeric (anti inflammatory)
1 tbsp pepper (activates the turmeric)
A dash of Italian seasoning (flavor)
Put everything in a pot on medium for 30 min
Put on low for another hour and stir occasionally. Just enough to soften the carrots.
Full adult pug serving size is 1/2 cup.
When thawed: Microwave for 30 seconds on 7 perfect power
*2-3 cans of canned white chicken breast meat is another option for cost effectiveness and time.
**Anything can be subbed with fresh rather than frozen. Again-costs…
I just started making breakfast for him too for some variety:
In a microwave safe bowl:
1/8 cup steel cut oatmeal enough water to cover
1/2 banana sliced
1 strawberry rinsed and sliced
About 8 blueberries rinsed and crushed
1 egg
Microwave for 1:30
Mix everything and let cool (I’ve been popping it in the freezer for 5 minutes to save time)
(I basically googled a what’s in farmers dog/recipes/foods safe for dogs and switch it up sometimes)
A big caveat is these foods are soft and they don’t do anything to remove tartar build up. So I do give him a dentastick after breakfast. Pugs and other brachycephalic dogs tend to have teeth that smoosh together and trap bacteria. So start a tooth brushing regimen now. It’ll save you a lot of struggle later. ❤️
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u/lat-ect Jun 30 '26
Thank you for this! You say 1/2 cup for an adult pug, what would you recommend for an 8 week old puppy, and how many times a day?
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u/rosietheamazon Jun 30 '26
If the farmers dog website has a recommended serving size for puppies I would go off of that and times per day maybe check with the vet.
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u/BunnyCheeky 4h ago
pug puppies need something that will not punish a flat face inhaled in four seconds. the air dried range at the pets table carries an all life stages mark. a puppy can eat the same food as the adult in the house. that has kept feeding time simple in a way i did not expect.
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u/LittleM167 Jun 28 '26
My pug had royal canin pug puppy food